Blank Slate
by Aurah
Summary: Homesick for Gaea, Hitomi returns to find an amnesiac Dilandau and soon gets caught up battling assassins, fleeing from sorcerers, and unraveling a deadly secret agenda. Amidst the chaos, can she save Dilandau from himself and maybe even... Find love? DH
1. Wiped

This is my first Escaflowne fanfic, so please bear with me during this first part. Thank you for coming in to read my story.

Celena does not, I repeat, DOES NOT exist in this fan fic. She may have existed at one point in time, but she flew off into the wild blue yonder and we will probably never hear from her again. And she doesn't exist in Dilandau, either, just to let you doubters know. (Just imagine Dilandau wherever she appears.)

Obviously, this takes place one month after Hitomi returns to Earth. In the meantime, I hope it doesn't drag _too_ much, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Hmm… Let's see… A DH fan making Escaflowne… With VH… Uh, NO! I don't own Escaflowne. (I wish I did, though! TT)

**EDIT #2 (2/11/06): Chapter 2, The Ace of Swords, now added to chapter 1 to extend chapter length. Chapters 3 and 4, and 5 and 6, have also been fused. Expect this to be the last chapter combination session I do. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.**

**Chapter 1: Wiped**

**-**

His eyes opened with the slow kind of certainty that foretold intense pain. Dull ruby orbs stared emptily into the cold, metal floor beneath his cheek. He laid there in the bright artificial lighting for what could have been minutes, hours, days, weeks, even years. He didn't care. He didn't care one bit…

Suddenly, reality returned to him. He lifted one impossibly pale, shaking hand and pressed it to the floor. The platinum-haired boy managed to lift the right side of his body a single inch off the ground before collapsing back to the metal floor with a _splash_.

The otherwise soft noise sliced through the near-tangible silence and seemed to echo off the cold, unfeeling walls for a century. But the surroundings, though artificial and uncomfortable, could not even begin to challenge the pain of the boy's internal struggle.

Another drop of blood fell from the long wound in the boy's chest and joined its brethren on the floor with barely a sound.

---

"N… No! Stop it! STOP IT!"

The pale boy's desperate cries grew louder and more frantic with each passing moment. Memories flashed before his unseeing eyes like fluttering moths, sitting by his hand for a moment, then teasingly escaping his grasp. They kept flowing, flowing, flowing off to God knew where. Not that it really mattered where they went. All that mattered was that he didn't have them anymore, and they didn't seem like they'd be coming back any time soon, if ever.

But it wasn't like he had any control over what was happening. It wasn't his fault. He hadn't done anything. It wasn't his fault. But that didn't stop what was happening, and it didn't stop the pain. Not the pain in his heart or the pain in his soulless body.

Memory after memory after memory flashed between his eyes and fluttered away. Viole and Dalet nudging each other lightly at the dinner table, joking. Stiff, snobby Miguel leaping up from his chair at being the butt of some joke. Gatty and Shesta sitting beside their magnificent blue guymelefs, plotting to set Dalet up on a date with a new crush. The surprised look on Guimel's face as Gatty shoved him, fully clothed, into the lake. The six of them hard at practice in the gym, sparring for all they were worth, their commander's secretly proud appraising eye checking over all of their stances. All there one moment, gone the next. All gone.

Drained of both strength and self, Dilandau's ruby eyes slipped closed as the last of his precious memories flitted away like the last lark leaving for winter. The only difference was, this lark would never return for spring.

---

Her breath hissed out in small, short pants as she pounded down the hard, packed pavement. Lightly tanned skin glistened with sweat as the girl's heart thumped excitedly in her chest, meters fleeing beneath spiked white running shoes. Then, there was a moment of pregnant silence, then…

Cheers and delighted screeches erupted from the gathered crowd as Hitomi Kanzaki ripped past the finish line.

She gave her teammates a tired, yet triumphant smile as they lifted her away from the coming stampede of onlookers and congratulators. They really _were_ on her side, in more ways than one. Hitomi giggled a bit at the discreet 'rescue' she had received, and was dearly glad for it as the wave of spectators crashed against the other runners.

Though blackness encroached upon her vision, she felt elated nonetheless. She, Hitomi Kanzaki, had won the 100 meter dash and secured the regional championship for Kama-Kita High School. Now the only obstacle that she and her team had to face was Sectionals, and if they won there, they would be granted to rare honor of entering in the National Cup Tournament. She grinned madly to herself, pushing away thoughts of the excruciating training she would undergo. If she was about to pass out from one little run, she definitely needed the exercise!

However, she now found herself thankful for the strength she had gained in Gaea. At least all those days spent running from guymelefs, assassins, crazed emperors, and whatnot had gotten her _something_ useful!

_Gaea…_ Suddenly, the seer stiffened in her comrades' arms, barely having time to register the familiar sensation of a vision before the edging darkness dissolved her conscious sight entirely.

---

Shadows. Men in black cloaks were hiding in the darkness, circling like buzzards in the corner of what appeared to be a musty laboratory, after a fashion. Several of them were struggling with the someone – or something – that they surrounded. Attempting to use their superior numbers and positions against the captive, the cloaked men seemed to be herding it toward the center of the room - a room occupied by a sickeningly sterile, smooth table.

Suddenly, the target's thrashing became even more violent, presumably noticing the table for the first time. It wasn't a stranger to it though, judging by the still strangely silent, but frantic, attempts to escape. The shaded sentinels continued herding, unheeding of their captive's desperate efforts to break their circle.

In a swift flurry of activity, a boy broke free and sprinted for the door. He jerked at it roughly, attempting to break the lock on the other side, but to no avail. For all his efforts, a single _crack_ penetrated the permeating silence.

The resounding _cracks_ grew louder and louder, but the red eyed soldier, despite his fear, seemed to realize that he wouldn't manage to break down the door before the gliding shadows stopped him. His struggles, nonetheless, continued unabated.

His strangled half-gasp, half-scream echoed through the dusty room as the needle pierced the pale flesh of his chest. He collapsed into the ravens' waiting sinister arms, and the room fell silent once again.

---

Hitomi's eyes snapped open as the vision faded. The madoushi and… Dilandau? The seer shook her head vigorously to clear it. No. It couldn't be. He would never have shown fear like that.

…Where was she?

---

Getting a good look at her surroundings for the first time, Hitomi cast her emerald gaze around the room. By the white, sterile and colorless walls, she recognized it as the school's infirmary.

_Oh. I'm in the clinic. I must have passed out during my vision._ She thought about this for a moment and a delicate frown formed on her rosy lips. This was troubling, the short-haired girl decided. She hadn't had a vision since she had been on Gaea, and had not noticed a reason that she would have one now. Strange…

Gaea. She still missed it. Missed it and Van.

She desperately needed to see Van. True, he "visited" her, but they couldn't really talk through those visits, and it wasn't nearly the same as being with him, hearing his laughter, crying on his shoulder, walking beside him in the castle gardens… None of it was the same. He was literally worlds away from her, and not even their love could breach that distance.

But thinking of Van brought up yet another question. Her vision. Always before in her visions, they had been of him or people that had to do with him. Her vision of Folken's death was a prime example of that.

_Wait… That's not quite right._ Come to think of it, the man who she felt closest to at the moment was usually the one she had visions about. She had seen Allen's father when she had still had her big crush on him. She had forgotten about Van then. Hitomi hadn't had many visions of Van when she was in love with Allen.

It was the man she was closest to, she decided. She had visions of the man she felt closest to and the people close to them.

But if that were true, why had she had a vision of Dilandau?

---

_Why did I have a vision of Dilandau?_

The question played over and over again in Hitomi's mind like a broken record as she trudged through the empty sidewalks. This was so frustrating. She didn't like Dilandau even one bit! In fact, she was absolutely _terrified_ of him! So… Why did she have a vision of _him_, of all people? It didn't make any sense! A long, soft sigh escaped her lips as she slipped through her front door, and dragged her exhausted body up the stairs. _This is just too much for me…_

Enveloped in her thoughts, the seer didn't realize what she was doing until she was seated at her desk, shuffling her deck of Tarot cards.

The emerald-eyed girl paused a moment to consider the stack of cards held in her slender fingers. She had locked these cards in a drawer after she had returned from Gaea. It had been a symbol of closure, putting those cards away, never to be seen again, never to hurt anyone again.

_Do I really want to do this?_ She wondered about that. It was too late to keep the cards in the drawer, but did she need to use them? Did she _want_ to?

It didn't matter. Her shuffling hands had decided for her, and it was too late to turn back now.

The young seer gingerly touched the first card, and, in a sudden burst of resolve, whipped it over onto the desk with a papery _smack_.

_The reversed King of Wands… This card represents the past. It tells of learning new skills, and warns me to be ethical and lack aggression. I suppose that _is_ true. It probably refers to my time on Gaea. I learned so many new things there, and made many new friends, but _I_ was always the one who tried to keep Van and the others from becoming too bloodthirsty and violent. I tried to keep them from going out of control. Lacking aggression and sticking to my morals…_

Beginning to fall back into the familiar rhythm, Hitomi flipped the next card to lay beneath the first, just to the left of it.

_This is the reversed II of Pentacles. This card stands for the present. The card of… Integrity? I need to be honest with myself and others? That's strange. I thought that by keeping Gaea a secret and not telling anyone… Shouldn't I _lack_ integrity and not _have_ it? Does this means that I will need to use more integrity soon? What for?_

Eager for an answer, pale hands slapped another card directly below the first, just to the right of the II of Pentacles.

_This card and the next one will be the cards of the future. Wait a minute… The reversed devil? It warns of the past interfering with the future. I need to be open-minded and non-judgmental. This card speaks of uncertainty and a clouded mind. Will I run into someone from my past that I hate?_ A glimpse of silver hair and crimson eyes flashed through her head before she shook it out of her thoughts. She had to concentrate on the next card.

_It's…The upright Ace of Swords? Huh? But…All of the other cards told me to be honest and start over with a blank slate, maybe with something or someone from my past. This is the only upright card in the whole spread. The Ace of Swords tells me that I have a strong spirit and not to… Let my ego get in the way? The way of _what

Hitomi froze as she thought about this card in light of the others. _This spread…It's the opposite! Each card means what its opposite should mean! An upright card, which should give advice, warns, and a reversed card, which should warn, gives advice. This makes no… What…?_

Her eyes snapped into focus on the card in her hand. She had only read the Ace of Swords' title. Her mind had filled in the nonexistent picture.

-

**End Chapter**

Well, I hope you liked it! If any of the cards or spread was a little different from the show, I'm sorry. Basically, I was too lazy to watch Escaflowne again (Yes, I do have the box set) to figure out the spread, so… Yeah. I just used my own Tarot cards and interpretation booklet to do it. I even did a reading and exchanged one of the cards for the Ace of Swords. (This is a _very_ significant card, and if you're reading this, it's something to remember.)

I will be writing more very, very soon. I'm sure you're all excited to see what happens to Dilandau and Hitomi, right? Well, I have some fun things planned for next chapter, so please keep reviewing! (Ha ha, I actually intended to make this chapter longer, but I need to study for midterms. Sorry!) I want at least 4-5+ reviews or I'm probably not going to continue this since it won't be worth your while. As low as 3 reviews are required to make this continue, although 5 is the only sure bet. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!

Aurah

------ _Clicky the little lavender button!_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Starry Sky

Yay! Chapter 2! I hope the last chapter was long enough for you. Also, I have indeed decided to make chapters longer by combining two to make one. So this was formerly only chapter 2, but I decided to add chapter 3 to it as well. This new technique will only add a bit more time to my updates. Please tell me if you like the combined chapters or separate chapters better.

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as the others!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Escaflowne. But I don't. HAPPY NOW? T-T

-

Last time: _Hitomi froze as she thought about this in light of the other cards._ This spread…It's the opposite! Each card means what its opposite should mean! An upright card, which should give advice, warns, and a reversed card, which should warn, gives advice. This makes no…WHAT?

_Her eyes snapped into focus on the card in her hand. She had only read the Ace of Sword's title. Her mind had filled in the nonexistent picture. _

**Chapter 2: Starry Sky**

-

Hitomi sat, staring wide-eyed at the pictureless card as silence reigned in the musty air of the room. Her mind, however, was far from that snapshot of tranquility.

---

A lone, pale figure pried itself off the hard ground of the starlit glade. In a voice as shaky as its body, it managed to whisper, "Where am I…?"

---

_What…? Why would it…? What's going on? Where's the picture? This has _never_ happened before!_ Her mind was a tangled web of confusion and half-baked theories. She had _never_ been so completely unable to decipher a reading before. Possibly interpret it wrong, sure. She had confused cards a lot when she was just starting to read, but never had she been so unable to come up with _anything_. It was _inconceivable._

The emerald-eyed seer let the mysterious card slip from her nerveless fingers and allowed her head to pound the desk with a resounding _thunk_ of frustration. "GAH!" Came Hiomi's muffled cry as she rose from her modest wooden chair.

Angrily, she slammed her Tarot cards back into their box and carelessly shoved the whole lot into her duffel bag. With a hastily shouted notice to her returning mother and brother, she slung her pack onto her shoulder and raced out the door. The cool air combined with the exertion of running would help clear her head and think about this matter with all of her good judgment intact.

But in her irritation, the seer had failed to notice that the marred Ace of Swords had knocked another card off the deck as it fell. Even though it was only for a few moments, the Tower had been laying across the other cards of the spread.

---

Hitomi pelted down the lamplit track, vainly attempting to forget about the pictureless card. She could think about that later. She needed to relax now!

It was too late. She was already considering.

The first three cards had seemed to go together, and in a by-the-book interpretation, focused on the Ace of Swords. Which brought up another question. How was it possible to understand a reading when she couldn't even understand the primary card?

Most people would have ignored the pictureless card and carried on like there was nothing wrong or different about it, but not Hitomi. Her powers were different, stronger, than normal people's. Average readers would have ignored the blank card she had pulled in Freid and drawn another, their weak spreads continuing unaffected. For Hitomi, it had meant something. Something big.

That in mind, she couldn't ignore the lack of a picture on the Ace of Swords. But what did it mean? _This is _soFRUSTRATING The track star began to run even faster. But by thinking of the blank card, her thoughts were inexorably turning to Gaea, and no amount of effort or distraction could stop them.

---

Crimson eyes slipped open slowly, almost cautiously, to the world around them.

Utter silence greeted his ears as he gazed around the lush clearing. Tall jade trees lined his position in the center of the glade. He thought that the area seemed somewhat familiar, and instinctively began to rummage through his memories for an answer. But even as he began to search, he realized with a sudden sense of panicked loss that there was nothing to search _through_.

He frantically hoped for something, anything, else that might provide him with the smallest scrap of information. Nothing. Defeated, he let himself fall into the tree's comforting, solid presence with an anxious sigh. A single tear made its way down a porcelain cheek as the boy let himself fall into a quiet, dreamless sleep.

---

Hitomi's mind raced with her feet as she barreled through her memories of Gaea. _Van… Allen… Millerna… Chid… Folken… Dryden… Naria and Eriya… Gaddes… Even that stupid little catgirl Merle. I want to see them again. All of them. I want to watch their quirks, listen to their voices, hear their laughter. Some of my friends are gone now, like Nariya and Eriya and poor Folken, or they don't have much left, like Chid and Van, or maybe have a lot they need to do, like Millerna and Allen and Gaddes… And Dryden, too. But still, I want to see them, talk to them, help them with their problems, and just be with them again. Home is great, and so are Yukari and Mom, and my annoying little brother, but it's not the same as what I had in Gaea. I built my own family there, and we all forged deep bonds during the war. They'll always be a part of me, and I want to see them again. _Hitomi snagged her duffel bag as she raced past and kept going without breaking stride. _I'm sorry, Yukari, Mom. Maybe I'll be back some day. Goodbye!_

A massive column of blue light reached down from the heavens picked up the girl from the Mystic Moon, carrying her off to the world her heart cried out for – Gaea. When it dissipated, only the stars were left to twinkle their secret.

---

Hitomi froze in the exact spot where the light had put her down. She was back in Gaea, and although she should have been ecstatic over being able to see Van… She couldn't quite manage it. It wasn't because she felt unsafe from an attack, or held the fear that geckos would grab her again. Actually, it was quite the contrary, since the war was over and no one was out to get her. No, she hadn't frozen for any reason like that. What petrified her was the pale figure she found – amazingly, given how bright the light had been - dozing lightly against the tree trunk. A tree trunk that was not five meters from her face.

_Oh, NO! Van… HELP ME, VAN! _ Her mind screamed at her, every nerve and synapses in her body shouting for her to run for her life. Dilandau Albatou absolutely _hated_ _her guts_, and the seer didn't even want to _think_ about what he'd do to her when he woke up and found her standing there.

However, there was just one little problem with obeying those instincts to run. The chances were good that she would wake him up with the racket made by tearing through the bushes. And from her personal experience, he was fast. If she ran, not even her substantial athletic skills could help her escape.

So, there Hitomi was stuck, various thoughts and plans in her mind all warring for dominance.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about him, that something was missing. He lacked his diadem… No, that wasn't it. He still had it. His armor? No, he didn't have it, but the armor didn't seem to be the cause either. Maybe it was because he looked about his age without his customary violent aura? That was true, but that didn't seem right, either…

Then it hit her. His sword. He wasn't carrying his sword.

_What? Dilandau, without a sword? When did _that _happen? What's going on here…?_ _I don't think I've _ever_ seen him without his sword. So…Where is it?_

The growing seed of hope in her chest was quickly snuffed out when she noticed the ever-present weapon laying beneath his leg, within easy reach.

_Crap._

But still, why wasn't it in his belt? The unfortunate seer quickly banished this thought, as well as the lingering wrongness, and decided on a plan of action. She would simply attempt to sneak away quietly, and with luck, Dilandau wouldn't wake up.

But just as she turned to creep away, a soft voice acknowledged her presence.

"What…?"

_Crap. Oh well, it's too late to run now. Maybe I should try to talk to him? It _has_ been a while, so maybe... He could forgive me? ...No way. Van, HELP!_

But her chances were 1,000,000:1 of Van somehow materializing to save her, so she forced herself to face him. The meek seer turned around nervously, shoulders stiff and hunched with fear. She couldn't force herself to look into his crimson eyes, so she instead fastened her eyes on the ground to wait for him to speak again.

"Who are you…?"

Hitomi's eyes snapped up from the ground to look at him. He was just sitting there, leaning nonchalantly against the tree, one leg bent with an arm draped across it. This relaxed posture didn't seem so unusual, however, and it wasn't what caught Hitomi's attention so fully.

He wore no trademark smirk, no arrogant sneer, no mad predatory grin. Him, _Dilandau Albatou_ just _sat_ there with his back propped against the oak and a sword under his leg with an entirely straight, unmenacing expression on his pale features. But while his face betrayed none of his emotions, his scarlet eyes were fairly whirling with them. As Hitomi locked her emerald orbs with his crimson ones, she saw flashes of curiosity, apprehensiveness, nervousness, and something few had ever seen in Dilandau's eyes… Fear.

---

"Huh…?" Hitomi's mind had gone into "Absolute Zero" mode. Nothing was working. Not her mind, her legs, her whole body refused to function. With visible effort the bewildered teen managed to loosen her tongue to speak.

"What do you mean, 'Who are you'? Have you forgotten me already, _Dilandau Albatou?_" Her outburst was soft, but there was a nervous conviction in her voice. She had spoken with part fear, part curiosity, and part… Something else. _…Concern?_

"Dilandau _who_?"

The seer's eyes snapped back to his at this. Her 'feeling' had been right. Something was wrong here. Very wrong.

The boy she was speaking to was an infamous homicidal maniac who had killed hundreds, possibly even _thousands_ of people in cold blood. No, not cold blood… Pure maniacal _glee_. Dilandau, especially from what she had seen of him, was indeed insane, or something on that level. He loved the fight, blood, shredding the lives of others, innocents, to burn them to the ground just as he burned their loved ones and homes down to mere smoking cinders. The only ones the albino seemed to even remotely care about were his Dragonslayers, and they were dead. Hitomi knew. She had seen it happen. He had snapped the moment his Slayers had died. He had seemed to lose his spark, his passion, the moment they had died. True, he had seemed fine later, but there was still something missing.

But this was different. He seemed more… Patient, nervous… uncertain. All of his spark, pseudo-spark, fire, what have you, was gone. All gone. Hitomi had no idea what had happened to him, but he wasn't anywhere near the person he used to be. He seemed, hollow, cold, resigned, even sad. _Dilandau…_

The girl's mind snapped back to his earlier question. _Strange…_

"What do you mean 'Dilandau who?'"

"I'm asking who that is. Dilandau Albatou, I mean."

Hitomi's chin hit the grass. He didn't know! He really didn't know! But his soft statement returned her to the question that had been haunting the back of her mind like a shadowy wraith.

_What happened to him?_

"You really don't remember, do you…?" The sprinter's eyes slipped to the suddenly quite interesting grass.

In the soft, nearly tangible silence of the forest, her 'companion's' keen ears managed to pick up and register the nearly unvoiced question.

"No. No, I don't." His voice, too, was a mere millimeter from utter silence, but Hitomi still heard it, impossibly. He was as quiet as the questioning whispers in the back of her mind.

She finally managed to wrench her gaze from the sweet-smelling ground and look him directly in the eye. His shining bangs almost hid the shy glimmer she found there before he blinked it away. Its softness made her a bit surer of herself and she moved to lean beside him, long legs moving of their own accord. The albino seemed to shy away from her presence, just a little, before he caught himself. This was definitely not the Dilandau she had met so long ago on her trip to Allen's outpost. This Dilandau wouldn't hurt her.

"So," She offered, equally nervous, "What _do_ you remember?"

"Nothing." He couldn't bring himself to look at her gentle visage, though he didn't know why. It just felt… wrong. Like treading all over someone's grave.

"Really? Well, uh, I… could tell you a bit about what I know of you, if you wanted me to, and, uh…"

Crimson eyes jerked over to her reclining form. She had known him? "Yes." Was he making the right decision? He wanted to know, but what if… What if…

"You're sure?" A shaky nod came in reply.

"Well, for starters, your name is Dilandau Albatou."

---

_Dilandau Albatou…Why did she say that – _my –_ name with such fear and venom earlier? What-_

"Do you remember the war?" Dilandau's eyes refocused on the starlit girl before him. _The war…_ Flashes of flame and blood quickly filled his vision, but were gone as suddenly as they had come, leaving him feeling strangely desperate and empty.

"What war?"

_Well, I guess that answers that question. _She smiled softly in reassurance. "Well…" She paused a moment, as if to consider her next words carefully. What did that mean? Was there something that she was hiding from him? If so, why? Dilandau, as he now knew his name to be, held a strange trust in her. He brushed it off as the fact that she was the only other human his memory had recorded.

_Hah… As if I were lucky enough to be able to trust someone when I don't even know what _I_ look like._ The cynical thought, just as the image from before, swiftly slipped from his grasp. A hint of a frown formed on his delicate features.

"You were a part of that war. I… didn't really know you, so…I can't tell you much else. I'm sorry." Her eyes dropped to the ground and she let her bangs cover them, whether from guilt or shame, Dilandau couldn't tell.

_/She's definitely hiding something./ _ A soft, rasping voice hissed. _Go away._ The albino hissed back, and it was gone without memory or trace. Once again, he was filled with the strange hollow sensation.

His companion once again raised emerald eyes from the ground to look at him. She shivered a bit as the fresh breeze brushed cool fingers across the glade.

"Well, we can't stay here all night long. It's late, and I don't know about you, but I'm tired. We should find somewhere to stay for the night, and if we can't do that, then at least find somewhere to camp." The teen rose rather stiffly, and held out a hand to help him up. Hesitating for only a moment, the former Zaibach captain took it easily and rose. Automatically, he snatched his sword from the ground and clipped it to his belt in a practiced motion. He didn't notice.

"Say," He asked as he followed her from quiet clearing, "What's your name?"

"Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki." Came the melodious reply.

"Hitomi." It sat well on his tongue, and he pondered over it as he left the temporary refuge of the starlit forest glade, blissfully unaware of the many trials and hardships he would face in the near future.

---

_Drip._

The low whirr of machinery droned in the musty air.

"So," Came a quiet monotone, "The Sword has met with the girl from the Mystic Moon. Good, very good. Matters are proceeding precisely to plan. The Fate Alteration Engine will soon accomplish its true purpose."

_Drip._

-

**End Chapter**

YAY! I now have over 250 hits, about 200 more than any of my other fan fics! YEAH! Ahem. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed, as this was the longest chapter yet! See ya, and Happy New Year!

Aurah

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Icy Water

Fwee! Enjoy chapter 3! (Hey, the AN's short for once! GASP! … Never mind. Not anymore, after all that. Sigh. Hangs head and trudges off.) Since I already wrote so much, I might as well mention that some of this chapter may be a bit humorous to some. Once again, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Fwee. I don't own Escaflowne. Hmm… I wonder how many collective hours a year fan fic writers waste on these retarded disclaimers. Probably a lot. How much do _I_? Hmm…

-

Last time: _ "Say," He asked as he followed her from quiet clearing, "What's your name?"_

"_Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki." Came the melodious reply._

"_Hitomi." It sat well on his tongue, and he pondered over it as he left the temporary refuge of the starlit forest glade, blissfully unaware of the many trials and hardships he would face in the near future._

---

Drip.

_The low whirr of machinery droned in the musty air._

"_So," Came a harsh monotone, "The sword has met the girl from the Mystic Moon. Good, very good. Matters are proceeding precisely to plan. The Fate Alteration Machine will soon accomplish its true purpose."_

Drip.

**Chapter 3: Icy Water**

-

"Ugh…" Hitomi's eyes strayed to her watch for the umpteenth time. "It's 2 am and we _still_ haven't found a place to camp! My feet hurt and I need to sleep!"

"You're tired _already_? We haven't been walking _that_ long." Her platinum-haired companion recited his mantra and gave her a sidelong glance. His earlier nervousness had fled almost entirely, giving way to irritation. It was going to be a long night.

"What? We've been walking for _four hours_. I'm not in as good of shape as you," The seer's eyes were fastened on the rough, leaf-covered ground as they continued to trudge through the forest, "I'm _tired_, Dilandau!" She whined. Dilandau had to fight with all of his considerable self-control to keep from strangling her. His right eye twitched incessantly, and he sighed for what was likely the hundredth time in half as many minutes.

"I'm not sure I know what we're looking for, but hopefully…" His voice trailed off to return in an awed squeak, "… We'll find it soon…?"

A brick house just _sat_ there in a small clearing, patiently waiting for a guest to shelter. It was quaint and small, but it was something truly amazing… Shelter.

"Look, Dilandau, a house!" Hitomi squealed and raced for the cabin. Before she had gone three steps, however, Dilandau grabbed her by the kerchief and pulled her back.

"Wait a minute. Someone might live there. We should find out before we go barging in." The ex-captain had no clue how he knew what to do, but he did. The sensation had become rather familiar and he shrugged it off. Subconsciously, his hand strayed to his sword hilt. At the caress of rough leather, he eased it off. _What was that about?_

"O-okay…" Came his companion's reply.

"You should probably go up to the door first. Maybe because you're a woman they'll react better to you than they would to me." He didn't know why he said that, either, but it _did_ seem like good advice. However, some small part of him that remembered everything whispered that it was because the cabin-dwellers might recognize him and be scared off, or even attack. Dilandau either didn't hear it, or chose not to hear it.

He was shaken from his reverie by a few sharp taps on the oaken door, and dove for cover behind a tree. On instinct, he peeked out from the side to see what was going on.

"Um… Hello?" Hitomi gulped. It was obvious that she was nervous, but it couldn't be helped. Dilandau only prayed that she would play her cards right.

---

Hitomi stood there for a long moment, goosebumps raising on her exposed legs from the caress of the sweet-smelling, chilly air. At a sudden dull creak, her eyes riveted on the opening portal.

A tall, bearded man emerged with a single sepia eyebrow cocked. His voice was rough as sandpaper and deeper than the Mariana Trench, but it still held the pleasant chime of congeniality. "Why, hello there, miss. I'm Elis Tark. What can I do for you?"

Hitomi smiled. "My name is…" She paused a moment. The chances were good that the man had heard her name before, and Dilandau's as well. "My name is Mia Kanza. My companion Dil and I were looking for a place to stay for the night. Could we stay here for now? We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Sure thing, little lady. Miss… Mia, wasn't it?" Hitomi nodded. "Say, what's your friend's last name? I don't think I caught it."

'Mia' lowered her eyes for a moment. "I don't know, sir. He has amnesia, so we just agreed on a first name for him. We decided to hold off on a last until we can figure out his real one."

---

On the other hand, 'Dil' was torn between gawking like a fish from shock and fuming from the childish nickname. He opted for the former, stunned by her ability to lie with such a straight face. _ How does she _do_ that? And I thought she was nothing but a meek nervous wreck!_

He quickly returned his attention to the pair's conversation, lest he miss any important lies 'Mia' told and blow their cover. Although he was mystified as to why she was telling them in the first place. The albino already suspected that he had something to hide, but did she need to conceal something, too? He would have to ask her about that later.

---

"So, where is your friend, this 'Dil'?" Elis asked, slightly suspicious. This was definitely a very strange girl. Polite, but still very strange nonetheless.

"He's hiding back in the woods over there," The athlete jerked her thumb over her shoulder, "He thought it was best that I approached you first since he's armed and I'm a woman. You'd probably react better to me than him," She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to the woodsman, "But _I_ agreed for a different reason. Except for the scar on his left cheek, he looks exactly like Dilandau Albatou."

Elis' eyes grew wide with shock and fear, only concealed from said ex-captain by Hitomi's closeness and his long, unkempt bangs. "W-what?" His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, "_The_ Dilandau Albatou?"

"Yes. Except for the scar, they _look_ identical, but Dil's personality is the complete opposite of Dilandau's. I only ran into him in the woods about four hours ago, but I know he wouldn't hurt anyone. He's a nervous wreck and really quiet, too. There's no way he's Albatou. Even if he _was_, it's unlikely that he'll ever regain his memory, so we're safe. It'll be fine."

Strangely, something about this girl and the way she spoke so simply and reassuringly made Elis trust her. He sighed and spoke again, quietly so that Dilandau wouldn't hear. "Alright girl, I'll meet him and then make a decision. Go drag this friend of yours out."

"Okay!" She chirped cheerfully and trotted back to the line of trees to retrieve one very nervous and hesitant Dilandau Albatou.

---

"Hitomi…? What was all that whispering about? And why did you lie to him about our names?" Dilandau softly demanded. He needed answers, and he needed them _now_. And he wasn't moving until he got them. "I already suspected that I had something to hide, but you? Tell me, who are you really?" Claret eyes narrowed in suspicion. He trusted her, but only to a certain point.

His companion sighed heavily and lowered her eyes a bit. "Fine. I'll tell you. I was a 'hero' in the Destiny War. In fact, I was a pivotal player during the war. Zaibach and the Alliance were always fighting over me. All because I'm a seer." Her eyes shut tightly in remembered pain. "During the war, I used my Tarot cards - cards used to tell the future - to read the future for people. Where I come from, most people's readings were wrong a lot, but even on the Mystic Moon, my readings were always much more accurate then theirs. When I came here, they were _always_ right. I could, and maybe still can, change destiny through my feelings. I can see things that no one else can and have premonitions. I saved my friend's lives many times with my powers, but also hurt them and others just as often."

"W-Wait a minute! _You're_ the seer? And you're from the Mystic… Moon…" Dilandau gave a nearly inaudible gasp. For an instant, an image of Hitomi sitting on the shoulder of a white guymelef pointing at a blue one flashed through his mind. It vanished without a trace in the next. And how _did_ he know about the 'Mystic Moon' and the 'Wing Goddess', anyhow?

"Dila- Dil. Are you okay?" She had noticed his wide-eyed gasp.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." _Damn. Why does this keep happening? I know I remembered something, but what was it? I really only have memory of the past 4 ½ hours, but I know that I remember even more than that. I'm already tired of these memory flashes. They're just teasing me. …But if I want to remember, why do I get the feeling that it's a bad thing?_ It suddenly dawned on him that he was leaning heavily against the rough bark of the tree trunk, and pulled away from it as if it were on fire.

"Mia, what did you come over here for? Will he let us stay the night or not?" The albino looked her straight in the eye, shaking off his doubts and putting the questions away for a better time. There would be a time and place to confront her with them, but it wasn't here and it certainly wasn't now.

"Well… He wanted to meet you before making a decision. I guess he just… Wanted to know what he was getting himself into, that's all," She tossed him her trademark reassuring smile, "Let's go!"

_Whatever you say, seer from the Mystic Moon. This is crazy._ He thought as he let her drag him off to the cottage. Something told him that this was a very bad idea.

---

Elis' eyes widened a bit as Hitomi pulled Dilandau out from behind the tree. The Sorcerers hadn't assigned him a small task this time. That was definitely Dilandau. The seasoned Zaibachian spy had seen him distantly several times, and once actually talked to him. Even if Elis hadn't recognized his face, very few had the skill to hide from him the way the albino had. Elis hadn't even begun to suspect him hiding behind that tree!

As the unlikely pair approached, he carefully schooled his expression into a mask of congeniality. There was no reason for Dilandau to suspect anything. And though he was likely not anywhere near as volatile as he had been during his encounter with Elis several cycles earlier, given the honed muscles and well-cared for sword, the former captain was just as dangerous. While his personality may have changed, his muscle memory and body certainly had not. Elis would definitely need to be careful.

---

Not two meters out of the tree line, Dilandau took one look at the man and said, "I don't trust him."

Hitomi shot her companion a quizzical sidelong glance, green eyes sparkling in confusion. "Why? I thought he seemed fine."

"Look at him. It's obvious that that smile and pleasant expression are all a façade. And his eyes. They're hard, and he's studying me like a predator sizing up a wounded deer. His frame is wrong, too. Sure, it's muscular, but not nearly enough so for the average woodsman. Something's not right here." Crimson eyes narrowed to mere slits as they peered through his silver locks. "I don't trust him." Dilandau's hand strayed to his sword, and this time, he didn't bother to remove it. He wasn't going to relax for a second as long as he was near this man.

"You're being paranoid, Dil. You need to learn to trust people. Give him the benefit of the doubt!" She smiled happily and trotted off. Dilandau sighed.

"You're going to get us both killed, woman." He muttered under his breath and followed her to the door of the cabin, not even realizing what he had said, or that he had even said anything at all.

-

**End Chapter**

It took me a bit to decide whether or not to put people in the house, but finally I decided that I would. I hope that they help me out later for explaining things, though I may have to pull some strings as far as recognizing Dilandau (and Hitomi, too) goes. Anyhoo, I hoped you liked it, thanks for reading, and bye!

PS. It's New Year's day right now, so while this will probably be posted about a month or so after I've written this, I wish you an uber late Happy New Year!

Aurah

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Fan the Flames

Well, this will _really_ be short this time. Enjoy Chapter Four!

Disclaimer: Taking lie detector test.

Lie Detector Dude: Okay, this is just to be sure that the lie detector is working properly: Do you own Escaflowne?

Me: (Screams maniacally) YES! YES I DO!

Lie Detector Dude: No, no you don't.

Me: T-T Sob.

Lie Detector Dude: Now I'm afraid we're going to have to lock you away in jail. Goodbye. (Mutters) Or maybe in an asylum. (Cough cough)

Me: 0o NOOOOOOO!

-

Last time: _ "You're being paranoid, Dil. You need to learn to trust people. Give him the benefit of the doubt!" She smiled happily and trotted off. Dilandau sighed._

"_You're going to get us both killed, woman." He muttered under his breath and followed her to the door of the cabin, not even realizing what he had said, or that he had even said anything at all._

**Chapter 4: Fan the Flames**

-

Hitomi let out a nervous mental chuckle. Dilandau and Elis hadn't said a single word to each other since they had met, instead just _stood_ there, unmoving, as they had for the past… 10 minutes, silently sizing each other up. Or whatever men did. Hitomi didn't get it.

---

He _knew_ that he had seen this man somewhere before. Damn, but this was frustrating! Dilandau recognized him, although Hitomi hadn't mentioned the 'woodsman's' name yet. And without a name, the albino was left without any clues to aid in jogging his memory. _ARGH!_

The bearded man was not to be trusted, and by 'Dil's' estimation, he just seemed to be in a shadier profession. A thief? No… He was far too muscular for that. While it _was_ possible, his stance was far too cocky to belong to a stereotypically meek pickpocket.

An assassin? That probably wasn't right either. True, the physique would suggest it, and the man certainly seemed flexible and observant enough, but there was the notable lack of a sword. Most assassins, like soldiers, always kept their long blades close at hand, and while he could have been armed with a concealed dagger, the 'woodsman' was outside with no place to pull a sword from, and the distance between them made Dilandau's longer blade far more useful and accessible than a mere dagger. The former soldier estimated that he could have the man's head on the ground before any hidden weapon could be drawn.

_Wait… Why am I thinking about how fast I could kill him? Why would I want to?_ The albino was greatly disturbed by this. According to Hitomi, he had been in the military, and soldiers killed. On the battlefield, it was kill or be killed. That was what happened. But that wasn't what had triggered the edgy reaction. The thought of killing this man didn't bring guilt, or even cold resignation… The prospect of taking another's life had seemed almost… _Fun_.

Dilandau forcibly eased his hand off the rough hilt of his sword. It probably wasn't a good idea to tempt his dormant homicidal tendencies. Speaking of which, where had this sword come from, anyway?

His thoughts screeched to a sudden stop as a memory came to him. It was like a still-frame shadowgraph - the background and surrounding people were blurry, but this man's face was clear. Though he didn't know how he recognized it, emblazoned on the left breast of the image's pale tunic was the gray upraised eye that denoted a Shadow Snake, one of the most elite groups of spies and informants in all of Zaibach.

"YOU!" He snarled, taking a step back and snapping a hand back over his sword hilt.

---

_What? What's going on?_ Hitomi was thoroughly confused. Dilandau's stillness-shattering movement had been incredibly sudden and certainly violent. _He must know Elis. I wonder where f- What...? How would Dilandau remember anything? By his own admission, he doesn't know anything at all of his past. Unless… _The seer's brows drew together sharply as she considered the possibilities. _… Oh no… He remembered something!_ She had to stop him before he did anything crazy! Hitomi darted over to the amnesiac as fast as she could.

"Dilandau!"

---

"Dilandau!"

"What…?" His crimson gaze snapped over to the sprinting Hitomi. In his shock, he forgot to use her fake name. "Hitomi?"

Being distracted for even one second was one second too much. Only his quick reflexes saved him from the dagger hilt whipping towards his head.

"Damn!" It was too late to stop the fight. He unsheathed his sword just in time to block the dagger's second strike with the resounding _clang_ of metal on metal. "Bastard!"

As his body fell back into the familiar rhythm of combat, however, the tables began to turn. From there on out, it was Elis' turn to do the blocking. Dilandau went on the offensive as he forced the spy to nearly fling himself to the ground in a desperate attempt to avoid having his stomach ripped open.

---

_Idiot!_ Elis cursed himself. _I should have waited to bring him in! Damn me and my ambitions! I've gotten rusty since the end of the war and forgotten how to fight a worthy opponent!_

In his current state, he would have had difficulty facing even a moderately skilled enemy, and Dilandau Albatou was a far cry from a mere foot soldier. Elis barely had time to recognize a feint in time to block the real slash to his throat. The spy was tiring quickly and his opponent was only speeding up. At this rate, the fight wouldn't last much longer. Come to think of it, he should have died years ago in an uneven fight just like this one. _Ha ha… How cruel Mistress Fate returns to collect her dues._

---

Hitomi was stunned by Elis' sudden attack. Apparently, Dilandau had been right. _At least he isn't enjoying it… Yet. What will I do if he remembers everything and regresses?_ As bizarre as it seemed, she already was considering this Dilandau as a friend, or at least a companion.

Suddenly, she stumbled back into a tree as a vision overtook her conscious sight.

---

Darkness consumed the silent chamber. A man in a black cloak stood on a shadowed platform at one end of the chamber, seemingly waiting for something. He quickly turned to face the opposite end of the room as a sudden flood of light and crash of heavy steel doors shattered the stillness.

A tan-shirted, gray-cloaked Elis, just as Hitomi knew him to appear, stepped through the entrance and shut the portal behind him. Wordlessly, the Zaibachian moved to kneel before the platform's steps and fastened his gaze on the cold steel floor.

"We require something of you, Elis Payne." The cold voice was emotionless as the metal casing of the room. Chill fingers danced up and down Hitomi's spine. There was nothing in that voice. Not compassion, hate, maliciousness, irritation, not even ambition. It was just… Sound.

"Yes, Sorcerer." The Shadow Snake's voice was respectful and even, revealing none of his emotions to his shadowed employer.

"Capture the experiment you call Dilandau Albatou. Its purpose outside has been fulfilled. We now require its return. You have 24 hours to bring it back to us." After a moment's pause, seemingly recognizing the source of the spy's hesitation, the Sorcerer added, "We shall add 500 gidaru to your normal payment if you can complete this task for us. If you manage to return the specimen within four hours, you will receive an additional payment which shall be given to you upon the completion of your mission."

"I, Elis Payne, accept the mission you have set before me. I will return Dilandau Albatou to you within twenty-four hours of my immediate departure." The bearded man rose, bowed once, and trotted briskly from the room, only the dull _thud_ of the doors and a flicker of light announcing his exit through the shadows.

_This is crazy. He wants me to capture _Dilandau Albatou_, of all people. Damn my avarice, damn my inability to get another job, and damn those Sorcerers while I'm at it. They're going to get me killed some day, and with this insane new mission, it may well be today. They're almost doubling my normal payment, but still… Money's no good to a dead man. _Elis looked back at the tightly closed metals doors he had just exited. _But there are worse things than death. From everything I've seen and heard of him Albatou's a vicious bastard, but I can't help but feel a little sorry for him. There are few things worse than death, but out of those few, being one of the Sorcerer's little lab rats has to take the cake._

---

The vision shifted as Hitomi was thrown even farther back in time. Her unseeing eyes widened in shock as she realized what she was witnessing.

---

A little brown-headed boy was thrown back roughly against the grimy brick wall of the alley. He winced, but didn't cry. He wouldn't give the gang the pleasure.

"Heh heh heh… Just hand over the money, little boy, and you won't get hurt. We know ya worked in that bakery for a few days so don't try ta play dumb." A group of at least five boys, all armed with sticks and knives, loomed menacingly above the sapphire-eyed boy.

"No way! I made this money all by myself! Go get your own!" He was trying to be brave, but the tears brimming in his sparkling eyes sabotaged his valiant, but vain, attempt.

"You couldn't even protect your own mama! If ya couldn't help her, then ya definitely can't protect your measly money. Unless ya decided _not_ to help 'er, ya liddle freak! Ha ha ha! 'Sides, it ain't _that_ much money. So fork it ova! You can always make more wit yer little job, right?" All of the teens laughed at this.

"No! This is _my_ money! I _said_ go make your own!" His small hands clenched desperately over the pocket of his ragged pants.

The laughing ceased. "Fine, little kid, you asked fer it! You shoulda handed over the dough when ya had a chance. Now yer gonna pay!"

Little Elis could do nothing but cower in the mud and trash as the boys descended like ravenous predators.

---

He awoke sometime later in a white, sanitary, hospital bed. His puffy, blackened eyes opened slowly, painfully, as he took in his condition.

Bright white bandages fairly encased his battered body. Both legs appeared broken, and even through the bandages Elis could tell that many of the numb limbs were swollen and possibly even infected. His seasoned inspection was halted abruptly as a black-caped man with spiked blue hair and kind amber eyes entered the room.

"My name is Folken," Sounded the man's soft voice, "I was the one who brought you here. I found those boys attacking you and brought you to the infirmary for treatment. How are you feeling?"

"I-I'm all right, I guess. Th… Thanks for saving me. Wh-," He stuttered, attempting to speak around his split and swollen lip, "Where am I?"

"You're aboard the Vione, one of Emperor Dornkirk's floating fortresses," Came the simple reply, "We're still above Zaibach, so you can return as soon as you're feeling better."

Elis turned his eyes away from Folken to the painted brick wall. "Okay…"

"However, if you wanted to, we could train you here, maybe as a soldier or even a spy. You would have clothes, food, and shelter, maybe even a group of friends. You would have to share a room with a few other people, and it would be difficult work, but we would care for all of your basic needs. How about that?" Folken's voice, though he was still maintaining an emotionless mask, held the barest hint of a smile.

"Are you serious?" Folken nodded wordlessly in reply.

"Of c-course! Th-Thank you so much!" The little boy grinned broadly. Those boys wouldn't be better than him ever again!

"I'll begin making the neccesary arrangements. Get some rest. Good luck." The Zaibachian Strategos slipped quietly out the door to begin the promised preparations. Elis never spoke with him again.

---

Hitomi gasped aloud as she was flung out of her vision and was greeted by a terrifying sight – As she had witnessed Elis' past, the fight between Dilandau and the Zaibachian spy had progressed. Features set in a grim expression, Dilandau had pinned his opponent to the ground and now held his sword point to the elder man's throat.

Scarlet eyes narrowing suddenly and a wicked smirk growing on his face, the Dragonslayer pulled his blade back for the final strike.

"Dilandau, DON'T!"

-

**End Chapter**

I hoped you liked it! I tried to enhance Elis' character a bit more this time, as well as Hitomi's. I figured it would be nice to have more background info about each of the characters to give them more depth. Something was bugging me about the writing of this fic, but now I think it's better. Please tell me if you liked it! Bye!

PS. The second part of the vision was soooo annoying to write! There were two leaf hoppers that had somehow gotten into the car and were hopping all over my glowing laptop screen and onto my hands! GRRRRRRR!

**I have also written and little implied Dilandau x Miguel oneshot called Under the Willows. Please read and review that, too please!**

Aurah

------ _Clicky the little lavender button!_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Interrogate Satan

Okay, okay, I'll quit writing all of those annoying one-shots and get back to the real stuff! And yes, my brain is now out of yaoiland since the science fair, when I was quite bored and went on a little Dilandau x Celena writing binge. And yes, strangely enough, I like Dilandau x Celena more than Dilandau x Hitomi. So please don't ask why I'm writing the latter. I don't know myself.

Oh yes, and just to brag a little since no one at school seems to care, I won the Regional Science Fair in my category! W00T! And no, I won't tell you my project or what state I live in, since you could probably figure out exactly who I am and where I live from that. But anyway… W00T!

**IMPORTANT: Chapters 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6 were each merged together, forming one chapter per pair. Chapter 7 (Now 4) was untouched. I did this to raise the word/chapter ratio and hopefully attract some new reviewers. Thank you all for putting up with my oft-idiotic musings. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: Damn lawyers… I don't own Escaflowne, okay? Sheesh, get a life. Other than stalking me to see if I slip up. Sigh. The things people stoop to these days… Shakes head. Wanders off.

-

Last time: _ Hitomi gasped aloud as she was flung out of her vision and was greeted by a terrifying sight – As she had witnessed Elis' past, the fight between Dilandau and the Zaibachian spy had progressed. Features set in a grim expression, Dilandau had pinned his opponent to the ground and now held his sword point to the elder man's throat._

_Scarlet eyes narrowing suddenly and a wicked smirk growing on his face, the Dragonslayer pulled his blade back for the final strike._

"_Dilandau, DON'T!"_

**Chapter 5: Interrogate Satan**

-

The silver head whipped around to catch a glimpse of the speaker. Who the hell was interfering with his kill? Crimson eyes narrowed to mere bloody slits.

Large, innocent green orbs and short honey hair filled his vision.

"H-Hitomi?" His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates just as rapidly as they had narrowed. The glinting blade trembled a bit in his wavering hands. What had happened? What was he _doing?_ The albino grew more and more confused and worried with each second it took for the seer to reach him. As if to deny his confusion, his knuckles reflexively whitened around the blade's scarlet hilt.

"Dilandau!" Soft arms encircled his neck from behind as her warm breath caressed his ear.

"Are you okay?" He slowly released the breath he didn't know he had been holding. _Was_ he okay? _Like I have any standard for 'okay'._ Came the sarcastic retort from the depths of his mind. The ex-captain brushed it aside.

"Yeah…" The reply was shakier than he had intended. Was it too late to say 'Oops'?

To his great relief, however, he felt her comfortable weight slip off his shoulders and he straightened. Ignoring the brisk morning breeze sweeping in from the lightening east, he steadied his blade once more and held it firmly at Elis' throat. How he knew exactly where or how to place it was beyond him. All he knew, and all he cared to know, was that he _could_ place it. The brown-haired Zaibachian wasn't getting away without answering a few questions.

"D… Dilandau…? What are you doing?" Hitomi's voice echoed uncertainly from his side. Damn. He really needed her support for this. He had no clue as to what he was doing.

"I'm getting some answers."

---

"Ugh…"

A lean brown-headed boy landed lightly on the ground with a soft _clink_ of tools. Hot damn, but it had been a long, sweaty two weeks. He suddenly found himself immeasurably grateful for his training with the guymelef technicians. He could never have repaired his beloved mecha without those skills.

Damn, but had he ever mentioned that he loved this thing? He stepped over to the gargantuan blue shin plate and patted it affectionately. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the greatest patch job he'd ever seen, but it was good for a first try. At least his baby worked now. Which was a vast improvement from the wreck that bastard had made of it. He wished his could say that his left leg had healed as nicely. Ah well, it had eased up some lately, and the doctor had said that he would stop limping within another week or two, right?

Goosebumps raised upon his once-warm tan flesh as the frigid breeze snapped him out of his self-pity. Suddenly realizing where he was, he stepped into the newborn sunshine for the first time in nearly two weeks, covering his exit as he left. The concealing vines were swiftly tugged over the cave's entrance with a barely a rustle. He paused a moment to make a few minor adjustments to the foliage's arrangement… There!

The young mechanic stepped back a moment, ocean blue eyes sparkling as he appraised his handiwork. No matter how hard the wind blew now, no one would ever find his precious 'Melef. Perfect. With a final nod of approval, he gathered his tools and sword belt and began the fifteen minute trek back to his cabin. Why he had bothered to stay in the cave when his home was so conveniently close escaped him entirely, but it didn't matter now, he supposed. The blue-eyed boy grinned at the familiar slap of the scabbard on his thigh as he slipped into the dense, tangled boughs of the forest. It would be great to sleep in a real, fluffy bed again…

---

"ANSWER ME!" The infuriated shriek pierced the stillness of the woods, startling several ravens from their nests.

In all of his jaded life, Elis the not-woodsman had never been so frightened. He had survived the streets of Zaibach's capital of Zurien, stared down Sorcerers, and infiltrated the innermost circles of the most dangerous dignitaries from nearly every country on Gaea, but now, staring into the blazing red eyes of Dilandau Albatou, he realized that all of those experiences had just been practice for the real test. And he was failing miserably. Elis nearly drew blood from his lip in a desperate attempt to keep from quailing under those twin flaming suns. Needless to say, this was bad.

_Oh shit._ The understatement was so ridiculous that he nearly laughed aloud. Nearly. To actually do so would likely have gotten him killed.

"I'll say this ONE MORE TIME," The last three syllables were dictated with a painstaking deliberation, "Where. Are. We. Now?"

"F-Freid. About five miles from the ruins of Godashim, near the small village of Sikano." Damn. Now his lip really _was_ bleeding. Elis' large pink tongue ventured out of its sanctuary to lick off the velvety droplet that his hand dared not. Sadly, it could do nothing for the long stream of blood meandering its way through the jungle of his unkempt beard. But then again, the spy hadn't exactly anticipated a blow from the sword's _blade_, now had he?

"Good," Came the sickeningly sweet reply, "_Now_ we're getting somewhere." A vicious smirk. At close range, Elis could swear the boy had fangs. _"Stay out of his way," His guide told him, gesturing to the sparring albino, "Around here, Albatou has a reputation for _looking_ for fights. He's pretty volatile." _ Elis vaguely recalled receiving the warning during his first tour of the Vione. _'Volatile' my ass. Try 'psychotic sadist'._ He thought sarcastically, watching his captor glancing longingly at the blood on the bared blade. What the hell was he going to do with that, exactly…? By the gleaming insanity in the ex-commander's eyes, Elis had the sinking feeling that the maniac would actually lick it off, just like in the plays. Utterly revolted at his own train of thought, he barely suppressed a shudder.

---

Dimly, Dilandau realized that he should probably hop off his little cloud and get back to actually _interrogating_ the prisoner, instead of just tormenting him. However, the psychotic, controlling, side of him whined back that it was having too much fun, and finding himself somehow unable to deny that claim, the albino was forced to sit back and watch his own vicious actions from a safe distance. However, Hitomi fixed this particular problem for him.

"Dilandau…? What are you doing?" The grass rustled softly about her sneakers as she slipped to his side.

His ruby gaze snapped over to his companion, forcibly shaking him from Cloud Nine. "Getting information." The response came out slightly quicker and more robotic than he had intended.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She looked ready to feel his forehead for a temperature or something. How the hell he knew this he didn't know, but shoved the observation into the rapidly growing pile of information for later review. At the moment, it was obtaining intelligence, not musing over mindless fancies, was his objective. Intelligence? _Ugh… Not _again He really needed to work on his focus.

"Who do you work for?"

"The Sorcerers of Zaibach. I thought you knew that already."

"I do. I just wanted to hear it from your own mouth. It solidifies my conclusions."

"Next question; Why are you here and why did you try to attack me?"

The spy almost seemed to cringe at this. Was he afraid of something? Elis hadn't looked Dilandau in the eye since the beginning of the interrogation, but now his gaze was slipping off to the side, as if nervous or frightened. The captive's attention was brought back to Dilandau by yet another chill breeze flowing down from the pastel sky.

"I… Can't answer that."

"What? Why?"

"They… They'll kill me if they find out I told you."

"Then don't let them find out."

"I've already failed in my mission to recapture you. They'll kill me for failure… Or worse." The spy shuddered slightly in terror, but Dilandau suddenly realized that the comment wasn't an errant slip of the tongue. Was Elis trying to give him information in a manner that a hidden Sorcerer wouldn't pick up on? Catching on, he responded in kind, pointedly _not_ mentioning the older man's mission.

" 'Or worse'. What do you mean by that?"

"I… Really can't explain that one. And I don't think that you really want to know."

"No, this is important. Tell me."

"You really want to know?"

The albino experienced a sickening moment of internal vertigo, but it passes quickly. Regardless of what it was, he wanted to know. For his sake and Hitomi's, he had to. "Yes." The words flowed so easily from his mouth, but what revelation would the answer bring?

"You of all people should know. You're one of them."

Dilandau gasped, expressive ruby eyes widening. He felt the tidal wave of a vision crash against his mind, but was too late to hold it at bay. Something told him that this wouldn't be like the earlier, quickly-forgotten flashbacks. Distantly, he heard his sword clatter to the ground as he quickly followed it, blackness edging his fading vision. Then, it was gone entirely and his world was left in blackness.

---

It began with a slow drip, like a water droplet from one of Zaibach's new faucets.

-

**End Chapter**

Hopefully this chapter was a little better than the last since I reread some of my older (and strangely better, since I was half asleep while writing it) and was inspired to bring the writing quality of this fic to greater heights. That, and I'm trying to take Cyn's superb advice. Thanks Cyn! You rock!

Oh yeah, and while you're at it, please check out my other two one-shots. One's a little poem-fic that I'm incredibly proud of and have been reading to everyone I bump into. Seriously. It used to be on the Holocaust (I'm finding that I write amazing poetry on that, strangely), and it would simply make my day if you took about 5 minutes of your time to read and review it. I would be really, REALLY happy. No matter what you have to say about it. Thanks!

Hope you enjoyed! 'Till next chapter, farewell!

Aurah

------ _Clicky the little lavender button!_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Metal Eden

Please forgive the mistakes in chapter 5. I really wasn't in a writing mood when I did it, so it didn't turn out quite as I had hoped, especially because I didn't have time to edit it anytime soon. And half the time I forgot about Hitomi! Well, I'm in a writing mood now, so I'll do my best. Enjoy!

Oh, yeah, this is a really important chapter. We go into Dilandau's dream sequence, two (sort of three) new characters make their little debuts, the crew meets someone new, and… WHAT THE HELL? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID HITOMI! DON'T YOU _EVER_ LEARN? Yeah, Hitomi's an idiot (sort of) in this one. Enjoy my pathetic attempt at humor. I'm really bad at it since my own sense of humor is really weird, but… Enjoy anyway!

PS. This chapter contains something that you've all been waiting for… DxH relationship furthering! (For all of you that don't want to translate my junk into English, it means that Dilandau and Hitomi are going to get closer this chapter! I got off my lazy butt and worked on the intended focal point of the story! FINALLY!) I'll shut up now! ---- ( By the way, although the reviewers already know this from my review replies, this is my face. Yup yup!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. Damn guards foiled me again…! However, I do own this fic's storyline and Elis. And the new characters that appear this chapter. Those are mine. All mine. (… Maybe.) BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

-

Last time: _ The albino experienced a sickening moment of internal vertigo, but it passed quickly. Regardless of what it was, he wanted to know. For his sake and Hitomi's, he had to. "Yes." The words flowed so easily from his mouth, but what revelation would the answer bring?_

"_You of all people should know. You're one of them."_

_Dilandau gasped, expressive ruby eyes widening. He felt the tidal wave of a vision crash against his mind, but was too late to hold it at bay. Something told him that this wouldn't be like the earlier, quickly-forgotten flashbacks. Distantly, he heard his sword clatter to the ground and quickly followed it, blackness edging his fading vision. Then, it was gone entirely and his world was left in darkness._

_---_

_It began with a slow drip, like a water droplet from one of Zaibach's new faucets._

**Chapter 6: Metal Eden**

-

_Drip._

A wicked smile grew on the shadowed figure's sinfully red lips.

"So…" A pale, thin hand rose to caress the cool tube with the soft _clink_ of nails on glass, seemingly reaching out to the still form held within the cylinder. "It has begun. Soon the Sword will remember where his obligations lie… And we shall never part again, my love."

_Drip._

---

"Dilandau!" Despite her fatigue, Hitomi's pelting feet tore away at the meters between herself and her companion. She had to know what had happened to him!

In a matter of seconds, the seer was kneeling at Dilandau's side, tall grass brushing her knees. Without thinking, she reached out to shake him back into consciousness. Her lightly tanned hand met his porcelain arm and Hitomi's vision dimmed to black and was lost. The last thing she saw was the ghostly specter of a black-robed madoushi floating somewhere in the lightening sky.

---

_Drip._

Hitomi opened her eyes to a room with undefined, shadowed borders, illuminated by a single bare bulb in the center of the chamber. _Where am I…?_

"Jichia…" A hoarse, barely audible whisper drifted to her ears from somewhere to her left. Turning to meet it, she found its source to be one Dilandau Albatou.

Looking completely cut off from the rest of the world, he kneeled, entire frame slumped, defeated, breath coming in quick, silent gasps, crimson eyes staring emptily into the cold, smooth floor. Simply staring with unnaturally large, glazed eyes that looked disturbingly similar to the rubies they resembled. Deeply concerned, Hitomi softly crouched beside him and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He blinked owlishly once, but didn't look up.

He didn't talk, didn't respond, didn't move, didn't stay in the trance… Didn't even cry. Instead, he did the one thing that scared Hitomi the most. He shook. Just knelt there, long bangs covering his face, and shook, from terror, horror, exhaustion… Hitomi didn't know. Hitomi didn't know anything. All she could do was try to comfort him as best she could.

Wordlessly, she let her hovering knees touch the floor and moved her free arm around his shoulders.

"Dilandau…?" The seer's voice quavered a bit, as if she were afraid to break the silence of the tainted shrine. "What's wrong?"

As she quieted, silence reclaimed the musty room. After what seemed an eternity, the shaking slowed to a stop and his breathing softened into a normal rhythm. With painstaking effort, the albino lifted his gaze from the ground and turned his head ever-so-slightly towards Hitomi.

"I don't believe it…" The whispered phrase echoed near-inaudibly through the chill chamber, bouncing off walls hiding somewhere in the darkness.

The Mystic Moon girl didn't reply, merely waited for him to continue.

"The things they've done in this room…" Dilandau's quavering voice broke the chamber's stillness yet again, slightly stronger this time. "I saw it… _All_ of it… The little girl, the young boy, the teenage siblings, the grown men and their wives, the corpses, the old women waiting to die, the insane, retarded, the convicts, the twins, the newborns, the animals… All of them. Even… Even _me_."

"The present me… _And_ the past me."

Hitomi stifled a gasp and her arm tensed slightly around his shoulders.

"The drips… I know you've heard them. They are the sound of the madoushi flagship's unique engines. I can't remember exactly what caused the drips, but I do remember that they were always how I knew when they'd caught me again…" The teen turned to face his companion more fully, haunted eyes seeming to bore into her soul with their intensity. "I can't remember much else, but I _do_ remember these labs. Listening to the screams day and night… And the time I spent in the labs myself. Hitomi, listen to me." His gaze slipped up to the lightbulb as he spoke the last few words. "I don't know where we are now or how you got here, but in the real world, there's a large metal table in the middle of this room, right under the lightbulb. On that table there are leather straps designed to hold people down so that they don't escape or hurt themselves if an experiment goes wrong." Something about his tone told Hitomi that experiments 'going wrong' was not an uncommon event. "The madoushi's 'tools' are on a side table near the platform for easy access." His eyes, looking for all the world like small puddles of blood, flicked up to meet Hitomi's emerald green ones. "What I'm getting at is… Don't get caught, Hitomi. Ever. If you have to, take your own life, but… Just don't let them catch you. Do you understand? Please, promise me now that you'll never let them catch you… Or me. That you'll take both our lives if you have to. Please. Promise me…" His voice trailed off into a desperate whisper.

"D… Dilandau, I…" The seer nibbled lightly at the inside of her lip, nervous. Should she agree? It would mean taking a life, something that she was entirely unwilling to do, but… "I promise. I promise that if I have to, I will take both our lives to evade capture by the madoushi. Can… Can you promise me the same?"

He smiled back firmly.

"I promise."

And with that, the room fell away into darkness.

---

Dilandau awoke to something extremely heavy draped across his torso. Opting for the most obvious course of action, he twisted onto his back a bit more and proceeded to attempt pushing the weight off… And his hand met with something warm and squishy. A deep crimson tint spread across his pale features and he removed the offending hand at a speed that he wouldn't have thought possible. His gaze slipped to the side in embarrassment. There was absolutely _no way_ he was going to look Hitomi in the eye and try to explain this one.

A small squeak of surprise sounded above him and drew his attention very, very slowly, as if he were turning to look at something he _really_ didn't want to look at. Which was true. Chances were, if he turned, he'd end up looking down Hitomi's front. Which would be bad. Which, unfortunately, was what happened. The albino found himself staring, at once morbidly fascinated and thoroughly enjoying himself, down a loose tan blouse at two very round… _Breasts_, for lack of a better term. _Oops. I'm an idiot. _Understatement of the cycle. Dilandau's face grew another five shades darker and he looked away very, very quickly.

"Oops." What else was he supposed to say?

The Hitomi-weight practically flew off of him and skittered several feet away to give him room to stand.

He did so rather uncomfortably. Morning dew drenched his entire left side, freezing him into a human glacier with each chill breeze. His shoulder was a dull ache from the fall and the time spent laying on it. His left hip was barely functional from pressing into the hard scabbard strapped to his waist. _Damn, I have the worst luck._ He didn't, yet again, know where that had come from, but guessed that it was a fair assumption. After all, he had lost his memory, been used as a lab rat, gotten caught under Hitomi, passed out while interrogating a prisoner… Wait. Where was the prisoner?

Dilandau darted to snatch up his sword and whipped around to face the 'woodsman's' previous spot.

It was just as he had feared. Elis was gone.

---

Elis' breath came in short, heaving gasps. Gnarled branches tore at his clothes like reaching claws even as their leaves ensnared themselves in his hair and fell into his eyes.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a little bad about leaving Dilandau and the Mystic Moon girl alone like that, but he had to run. Even had he brought Dilandau to the Sorcerers as his mission had dictated, the boy had learned too much. Elis had to save himself while he still had the chance.

After pausing a moment to catch his breath, the bearded man pressed on, the only sounds the chirping of the birds and the occasional rustle of branches snagging on his clothes. He didn't get very far before feeling the deathly cold point slip through his cloak to draw a single droplet of blood from his battered back.

"You found me." It wasn't a question. His voice was level and still. He had known his fate since the first word had escaped his lips during his interrogation. At least death would be a far more merciful end than the alternative.

No reply.

"Go ahead. Do your job."

The blade erupted from Elis' chest in a spray of crimson. Elis Payne, Shadow Snake and operative of the madoushi, died with barely a yelp. His only memorial service was a small snicker and the _shing_ of a bloodstained blade being cleaned on his desecrated cloak. The assassin had done his work.

_Next._

The madoushi got what the madoushi wanted. Always.

And Kearce wasn't about to fail them.

---

_Drip._

"Hmmm… So the Sword did not remember. All in due time, I suppose. Fate will do as Fate will. It appears that we shall have to wait a while longer, my love. But that's perfectly fine. We can have all the time we need."

_Drip._

---

"Finally!" Miguel cried, exasperated, as he pushed aside the final branch, "Home!" A wide grin spread across his face as the warm sunlight caressed his tanned features.

Two pairs of red and green eyes stared at him in surprise. _Red eyes…_ The brown-headed boy instinctively fell to one knee, nearly forgetting to breathe.

"L… Lord Dilandau…!"

**End Chapter**

I hope you liked it! I finally killed someone! -Does a little jig of joy- YAY! And I hoped you liked my Dilandau x Hitomi moment!

I've revised and uploaded all of the previous chapters except for chapter one. Hitomi is back in character (at least to a certain degree) and I got everyone's emotions lined out a little better. Enjoy!

Oh, one thing. This is **VERY IMPORTANT**. Should I have Miguel call Dilandau 'Dilandau-sama' or 'Lord Dilandau'? Thus far I have tried to stick to using only English, but I really need others' opinions on this one. Please tell me what you think! Bye!

Aurah

------ _Clicky the little lavender button!_

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Shade of a Feather

It took me 6+ attempts to finally get this chapter off the ground as I was suffering from the mother of all writer's blocks. However, I think this was one of the best chapters yet. Please forgive the monstrously long "Last Time" bit, but it had to be done to cover all the main events of the last chapter. Hope this was worth the wait!

Also, I apologize profusely for the ludicrous delay. Dead muse or not, there is never any excuse for an 8-month delay. Never, especially with a cliffhanger like the last one. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me and keep reading. As an apology (and that tomorrow is the second of three days of midterms, meaning that I will be on break) the next chapter is already in the works. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't Escaflowne. I do own Elis, Kearce (?), and this plotline. Yippee. (I _still_ haven't gotten the CEO drunk enough to give me the Escaflowne rights. DAMN! That man's alcohol tolerance is ridiculously high, and he practices this retarded idea of drinking in moderation. DAMN YOU CEO!!!!!!!!!!)

-

Last time: _ The blade erupted from Elis' chest in a spray of crimson. Elis Payne, Shadow Snake and operative of the madoushi, died with barely a yelp. His only memorial service was a small snicker and the soft_ shing_ of a bloodstained blade being cleaned on his desecrated cloak. The assassin had done his work._

Next.

_The madoushi got what the madoushi wanted. Always._

_And Kearce wasn't about to fail them._

_---_

Drip.

"_Hmmm… So the Sword did not remember. All in due time, I suppose. Fate will do as Fate will. It appears that we shall have to wait a while longer, my love. But that's perfectly fine. We can have all the time we need."_

Drip.

_---_

"_Finally!" Miguel cried, exasperated, as he pushed aside the final branch, "Home!" A wide grin spread across his face as the warm sunlight caressed his tanned features._

_Two pairs of red and green eyes stared at him in surprise. _Red eyes…_ The brown-headed boy instinctively fell to one knee, nearly forgetting to breathe._

"_D-Dilandau-sama…!"_

**Chapter 7: Shade of a Feather**

-

An uneasy silence seeped into the glade, permeating everything with the clenching tightness of fear. The trees stilled their swaying limbs. The birds quieted their merry warbling. Clouds slowed their progression across the sky, and it seemed for a long moment time had all but forgotten the three small figures in the glade. But just as the illusion was nearly tangible, the wind picked up. The trees resumed their swaying. The birds continued singing, and the clouds began to wander once more. Hitomi's voice shattered the serenity, shrill and incredulous.

"M… Miguel? B-But you're supposed to be dead!"

- - -

_Miguel…_ The name hit Dilandau like a bucket of winter water.

Instantly, images battered his mind. Miguel, dressed in encumbering black-and-blue armor, conversing with a fluffy-headed boy and his ponytailed companion at a long lunch table. Miguel, fencing with a wide-eyed, deceptively innocent soldier, both clad in the same outfit Dilandau was wearing now. Miguel, dragged from a majestic navy guymelef and captured before the eyes of his helplessly fuming commander and comrades. More memories raced in, but instead of vanishing in the next moment like so many others… They stayed. And they were staying for good, the Dragonslayer captain intuitively knew. He knew it, _sensed_ it, even as he felt them taking root in his mind. It felt good. It felt good to have something to look back on. It felt good to have an _identity_.

And simply knowing that he _was_ something, was _needed_ by someone lent just a little more lightness to his heart. A small, true smile lit his features as he moved to kneel before his Slayer. Hesitantly, Dilandau began to speak, "Miguel…" The brunette boy looked up sharply, eyes wide; he had never heard his commander's voice so soft. Dilandau continued, unperturbed, "Thanks, Miguel... For your loyalty."

Miguel couldn't seem to regain control of the tongue that lolled from his mouth. "S-sir!?"

A tiny grin tickled the edges of Dilandau's lips. "Close your mouth, Miguel. I need my levelheaded second-in-command, not a babbling idiot."

"Yes, sir, Dilandau-sama!" Came the crisp reply. The former captain felt a small twinge of pride. Old habits died hard. Abruptly, however, Miguel's cerulean gaze sank to the soft, yielding grass as the pause permitted him time to think. "Sir, I'm not sorry that you're back, but… What happened to you? Word had it that you had died. I couldn't believe it, but no one had seen you since the Battle of Rampant, and I can't imagine that you would have retreated during the final battle, so…"

"Battle of Rampant…?" Several images flashed through the albino's mind, but all he managed to retain was the scent of blood and a peculiar note of hope overshadowed by desperation. He sighed beneath his breath. _Damn._ Nothing about his amnesia had changed. Unable to summon any lasting memories, the albino hazarded a guess. "Was that… The final battle of the war?" Belatedly, Dilandau thought back to his first encounter with Hitomi, and suddenly the false note jumped out at him; the false note that had rung when she claimed her only knowledge of him was that he had been in "the war".

His red eyes flew to hers, conveying a clear message: "I want an explanation. What are you hiding, girl?"

Deep inside Dilandau, something muttered a correction. _/Mystic Moon bitch./_

The albino was far too busy staring at the transfixed Hitomi to pay it much heed.

- - -

Blood-soaked feathers plopped limply to the crimson grass, a fitting shroud. Nothing stirred. Nothing rustled. It was silence in its purest form. Despite the thick blood that clung to her muddy sneakers, Hitomi's soul gave pause to revel in the warm fuzziness of serenity. But Hitomi's mind refused to give in to the temptation. It – and she – were far too appalled to take the offered fruit. Hitomi's mind was repulsed by the blood that defaced the sky, trees, grass, clouds, and especially the once-light alabaster feathers that reminded her of Van, still so far away.

Despite her mind's rationality, it was still the seer's soul that spied the figures that had been concealed by the feathers. _No… Dilandau! Folken…!?_

There, before the teen's mortified eyes, Dilandau slumped before his former superior, held upright only by the sword tip that gleamed viciously from his abdomen.

With the keen of a wounded dove, Hitomi screamed as the scene ceded to blessed darkness.

- - -

"DILANDAU, BEHIND YOU!!!"

He whipped around, drawing his blade (1)Sanguis, and stopped his enemy's dusky sword mere pinky-length from the side of his head. Dilandau leaped back to regain his balance, spreading his feet to recover from the unexpected force of the blow.

Falling into the surreal time gap of combat, the veteran sprang back into his opponent, weapon held close above his body. Despite the swiftness of their motions, Dilandau's mind function at a seemingly normal speed, an entity apart from his body, and it told him that, judging by the other man's blurred sword, this was no Elis. This adversary was just as skilled, if not more so, than Dilandau himself.

The dark blade whistled by the albino's head and managed to lap the tips of snowy bangs before the downward slash was blocked. Acting more by instinct than any rational thought, the Dragonslayer captain shifted his weight to his back foot for a swift, unexpected kick to his enemy's solar plexus beneath the locked blades. Unfortunately, Dilandau once again underestimated the other man's strength and staggered backwards to afford himself room to recuperate. The maneuver would have worked - had the young soldier not managed to get a glimpse of his opponent from a slightly greater distance.

_Jichia… _Kearce_…_

It was all Dilandau could do to keep from collapsing from the cloaked man's next charge. He slammed his foot sideways far behind him to absorb the some of shock, but while he didn't budge, Dilandau was momentarily stunned by the effort of blocking. He gasped in shock and exhaustion as he leapt a few feet back on leaden limbs.

_/Need some help?/_ An echoing, wraithlike voice sneered.

_What..?_ Dilandau's world crumbled into black.

- - -

Miguel, regardless of the overprotective streak shared by all Dragonslayers, knew his leader and had been content to let Dilandau-sama fight on his own… Until he had seen the cloaked man's face. The soldier had heard from several of his more reliable contacts that this man was dead; yet here he was. Miguel knew in his gut that it couldn't be possible, but… Those tattoos… Those eyes… That hair… It couldn't be denied. If it truly was who it appeared to be, then Dilandau-sama, a bit rusty and caught off-guard, was in major trouble.

_Damn his pride. I won't_ _let him get himself killed!_

Scraping his beloved leather-hilted sword from its navy sheath, the Slayer gathered himself to rush at the intruder's unprotected back. However, the abrupt change in Dilandau-sama's movements caused him to pull up short in astonishment.

- - -

Dilandau's eyes narrowed and sharpened as his movements transformed from crisp, precise jabs to surgical blurs and flashes of reflected light. Suddenly, he darted back, triumphantly licking the spatter of blood from his blade. He eyed his enemy's lethargically dripping wound with a smirk.

"First blood is mine."

Deftly the albino tugged the diadem from his belt and slipped it into its proper place, amethyst gem winking from between restrained snowy locks. Then he charged back toward the taller man, darting for the already-injured sword arm. At the last possible moment he pivoted on his front foot and fell into the assassin's chest, cleanly blocking a downward warding strike. Deep amber eyes registered shock as Dilandau continued to move, elbowing the elder man in the solar plexus. A pale fist followed it up, catching the doubling warrior squarely in the jaw. The young captain's sword quickly appeared in the figure's wildly spinning field of vision, nicking his adam's apple to draw a single bright point of blood.

"You've gotten better, Folken. Back to being the madoushi's lapdog, I see?"

Kearce didn't deign to answer thought his mind was drowning in a rapidly-growing lake of questions. His superiors had lied. Dilandau _did_ remember. He remembered some of the things that even Kearce himself did not, but most importantly, with Dilandau's memory came his swordplay, untarnished despite two months of inactivity. The fight had been over before it had begun… Hadn't it? The would-be assassin opened his mouth to give voice to his question, but it would have to wait for another day.

An eruption of pain blasted into his temple, giving him over to chilling blackness. Shadows consumed his vision as his limp body slumped to the ground, splashing red onto the once-green grass.

-

**End Chapter**

Written to (CD): The Crane Wife by The Decemberists

(1) "Sanguis" means blood in Latin.

As a side note, I take both Latin and Tae-Kwon-Do, so now that there is more occasion to use them you will likely see more of both. Also, some of my fighting technique (as I am decent at sparring) will likely be shown in Dilandau's as it is the only way I know how to fight. And for those who are curious, hand-to-hand combat really is like an out-of-body experience. It seems like your mind is working at normal speed and you have plenty of time to think, strategize, and analyze the flaws in your opponent's guard, but I think that things really happen very quickly. It's almost like a type of messed-up high. Only when you're near collapse do you actually feel like you're in your body. Whoops.

I feel soooooo bad about taking so long! Please forgive me! Oh, yeah, and I hope you enjoyed! 'Till next chapter - which will definitely be coming within the next month at the latest!

Aurah

------ _Clicky the little lavender button!_

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


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